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Prep baseball: Benson rallies past ’Streeters

Tribune photo by Tom Larson
Benson starting pitcher Chad Schwarz delivers a pitch during the first inning of the Braves’ non-conference game against Sauk Centre on Thursday at Chiefs Field in Benson. Schwarz didn’t figure in the decision but the Braves rallied in the late innings to defeat the Mainstreeters 9-8.

BENSON — Cody Hammerschmidt hit a two-run double in the bottom of the sixth to power Benson past Sauk Centre 9-8 in the Braves’ season opener Thursday in Benson.

A back-and-forth game through five innings, the Braves took control with a four-run sixth.

Trailing 6-5, Brady McDonald led off the sixth inning with a walk, and was pinch run for by Jacob Connelly. Aaron Ahrndt followed with a walk, and after a sac fly to put runners on second and third, Connelly scored on an attempted steal of home when Sauk Centre threw the ball away.

Morgan Staton continued the rally with a single, which brought Hammerschmidt to the plate, who doubled off the top of the left field fence to score Staton and Ahrndt.

Hammerschmidt scored from third on a wild pitch for the fourth run of the inning, and it was an important one, as Sauk Centre scored 2 more in the top of the seventh to make it 9-8.

Staton was 2-for-3 with 3 runs scored and 2 stolen bases, and Tanner Mikkelson was 1-for-4 with a 2-run double.